


Afterlife

by Kalira



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Afterlife, Humour, M/M, Minor Violence, Mostly-canonical character death, Slight Unresolved Sexual Tension, The Author is Clearly Insane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-17
Updated: 2010-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-09 21:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/458566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry, once again, finds himself displaced to a strange new world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afterlife

**Author's Note:**

> In my recent open floor for prompts, WynterRavenHeart gave me one that sparked this. This was _supposed_ to have two parts, but the second has remained stubborn - thus the delay in posting, because I had this written five months ago, right after receiving the prompt.

Harry blinked, noticing a very strange ceiling above him - certainly not the one which had been there when he fell asleep.

He pushed himself up, curious - and no little wary - as to this odd location and how he had gotten there.

“Gah!” Harry rolled off the surface of - a sarcophagus? Talk about creepy. He took a moment to thank that trait of his, that some called paranoia, for making him keep his reflexes as sharp as they had been when he was fighting on the front lines of the War.

He ducked again, this time from a bright red jet. “Will you stop it!” he bellowed, annoyed, without coming out from behind his impromptu bed.

The noises did, thankfully, stop after that - and the curses did as well. Harry tentatively poked his head up, and was greeted by a friendly countenance, topped by curly blond hair.

“Are you all right? I am sorry, I didn’t see you there.” the blond, who looked about seventeen, explained apologetically, offering Harry a hand up.

Harry nodded, rising easily and looking around warily for the other duellist - he jumped back, groping for his own wand, as he recognized Vold- no. This was Tom Riddle, as he’d been at school.

As Harry’s wand slipped into his palm, he glanced at himself and was somehow unsurprised to find that _he_ was back in his seventeen-year-old body as well.

“So, who would _you_ be?” he asked the blond, raising a brow.

“Gellert Grindelwald.” he introduced.

Harry nodded. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” he replied politely, ducking away from a Killing Curse as he did.

“I shall assume that you are Harry Potter, then, from dear Tom’s reaction to your very presence.” Gellert posited.

Harry chuckled. “Indeed.” He flicked his wand over his head, not peering past the great marble sarcophagus, and listened with satisfaction for the pained yelp from Tom.

“If you will excuse my saying so, you are hardly what I would have expected from the Saviour of the Wizarding World.” Gellert said, hopping up onto the sarcophagus Harry had recently vacated.

Harry jumped up onto it as well, sitting cross-legged and peering down at Tom, collapsed where he had been attempting to sneak up on Harry. “You really are _far_ too predictable, my old enemy.” Harry told him, shaking his head and clucking disapprovingly.

He looked back at Gellert. “And yes, I know - I am hardly wise and benevolent, or even vaguely in the neighbourhood of something that might be expected as a ‘ _Saviour_ ’.” the word was spat out with distaste.

Tom gave up - for now, at least - the idea of attacking his old opponent, and seated himself next to the boy. He propped his elbow on his knee and settled his chin in his hand. “You surprised us all - even me - with that last stunt.”

Harry snorted, rolling his eyes. “Don’t see why. Practically everyone I’d ever _met_ seemed to be trying to make my life miserable, one way or another. And then they were all bloody surprised when I decided I didn’t want to be a pawn for them, or do as I was told. ‘For the greater good, Harry!’” he added, in high, mocking voice.

Tom nodded, Harry saw from the corner of his eye, and Gellert was looking aggrieved.

“At least you were my enemy - you declared you were going to make my life hell, and then, perfectly honestly, did so - to the very best of your abilities.” Harry said, sighing and allowing his head to sink onto Tom’s shoulder.

Tom petted his shoulder soothingly, nodding again. “I really did do quite a good job of it, didn’t I?” he sighed, reminiscing.

Harry chuckled again. “Did quite a god job of teaching me, as well - all those nights I spent in your head were quite . . . informative.”

Tom laughed outright. “Quite to poor Albus’ shock, eh?”

Harry nodded, pushing himself upright again. “So, I’ll assume this is some sort of bizarre dream, or some such?”

Gellert bounced slightly in his place, causing the two brunets to look at him as if he were mad. “I believe, actually, that we are all dead!”

Harry hummed, leaning away from the now crazed-looking Gellert. “I . . . suppose that might make some sort of sense . . . actually, didn’t we all kill each other?”

Tom tilted his head thoughtfully. “Indeed. I killed Gellert - and then you, a few years later-”

Harry continued, “And then I came back - due to mastering a technique you had never even heard of,” he added smugly, smirking at Tom, “and killed _you_.”

Tom snorted, frowning irritatedly, but had to concede the point.

Harry raised his eyebrow. “Well, at least you can console yourself that if you weren’t the most feared and powerful Dark Lord in history, that at least you had a rather large hand in the creation of the most feared and powerful Dark Lord in history. So far.”

“Dark Lord..? So far..?” Gellert mumbled, looked deeply confused.

Harry looked at him, sliding off the sarcophagus and wandering off away from it to examine the room he found himself in. “So is this, like, the afterlife for Dark Lords, or what? And I shall assume you haven’t told him anything about what happened after his death, shall I, Tom?”

Tom muttered agreement.

Harry looked askance at him, and Tom crossed his arms in frustration - Harry refrained from informing him that it made him look like a sulky, moody teenager, being aware that he couldn’t claim much better, himself, at the moment.

“Well - I try not to talk to him too much, actually. He’s rather a disgrace for Dark Wizards everywhere. Just look at him!” Tom gestured at him, disgusted.

Harry looked. “Well… Yes, he is rather pathetic. No one else here, I suppose?”

Tom shook his head. “I’ve posited that each millennium’s Dark Lords - apparently regular Dark _Wizards_ are kept elsewhere - are kept penned together until the last of them has died. I hope that’s all, in any case - I’d hate to be stuck with _him_ for eternity.”

Harry hummed, raising a brow sceptically.

Tom scowled. “Well, I may not have many clues, but I haven’t anything but time, either, so I’ve thought about it rather extensively. And it does-”

Harry nodded. “It does make a bit of sense, yes. Hopefully once I’ve died you’ll be allowed to mingle with some of the others.”

The other two looked at him curiously. “Er, Harry, youngling, you _are_ dead.” Gellert attempted to explain, softly and rationally, in that tone you reserve for children and the mentally deficient.

Harry snorted. “I’m not deluded - I’m just not permanently dead - just yet, at least.”

Tom blinked at him. “You mean you’ll be going back _again_? Bloody hell, what did you _do_ to make yourself so hard to kill?” he demanded, incredulous.

Harry chuckled. “A lot, actually. I learned quite a bit from your libraries, as well - thanks for that, by the way, never could have made it as far as I have without all of the things you left behind.”

Tom shook his head. “You’re welcome, I suppose - not like I need them anymore.”

“Though what you wouldn’t give for just _one_ of your libraries now, am I right?” Harry asked, grinning.

Tom sighed, leaning against the wall a few feet away from Harry. “In _deed_.” he agreed long-sufferingly.

Harry stepped closer, patting his old enemy on the shoulder. “There, there, Tom. Could be worse!”

Tom raised his eyebrows, pursing his lips with disbelief.

“Could be stuck here with Albus.” Harry reminded. “Or, and possibly worse, all of your idiotic followers.”

Tom thought about that for a few moments, shuddering. “Too true. Although-”

“Yes, I know. They weren’t _all_ idiots.” Harry conceded.

Tom affected a vindicated pose, tilting his head back and looking smug. Harry stifled an unkind laugh at him - he figured spending years with Gellert might make anyone a little stir-crazy and silly.

Suddenly he felt a familiar - too-familiar, actually, he really did die too often, even if usually it only lasted a few moments, not long enough for him to wake here, he supposed - stirring in his chest and abdomen. It was followed by a sharp jerking sensation as his own magic fought with that which was trying to control him. He smacked it down, reminding it that this was what was supposed to happen.

He sighed. At times he thought it was a wonder he hadn’t gone mad - and other times he thought he probably _had_ gone mad, and simply hadn’t noticed. Not like anyone would have the balls to bring it up with him if they _had_ noticed.

“Ta for now, Tom, dear. Good luck with him.” Harry declared.

“What do you mean? You’re dead. You’re stuck here same as us!” Gellert protested strongly, blue eyes wide with concern.

“I’ll be going now - I can feel the pull that tells me I’ll be returning to life soon.” Harry informed them, looking bored. “I really _shall_ have to discern who it is that put me here, as well - wouldn’t want them to think they can get away with killing _me_ , even if I can come right back with very little inconvenience.”

Tom slumped. “You really _did_ master immortality, then.” he spoke gloomily.

Harry nodded, suddenly cheerful again. “Oh, yes. I expect I’ll be dead again soon though - and eventually, I imagine, someone will figure out how to kill me permanently. I’ll see you the next time.”

“How _would_ someone kill you permanently?” Gellert asked, an odd glint in his eyes.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t actually know, myself. As I said, though, I’m sure someone will figure it out eventually. Oh!” he gasped. “I’ll be going now.” He smiled at Tom. “See you soon.” he purred, leaning in close.

Tom rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. Fine.”

Harry kissed him suddenly, and right before Tom could get over his shock and reciprocate, Harry disappeared.

Gellert gasped. “Oh, my!”

Tom blinked, staring at the space that had, until seconds ago, encompassed the brightest pair of green eyes he’d ever seen. “Oh, shut up, Gellert.” he commanded.

“No!” Gellert sing-songed childishly - damn it, but it was so bloody boring here as it was, he wasn’t going to pass up- “Ow!”

Tom twirled his wand in his fingers, smiling in satisfaction. “I said shut up, Gellert.” He wondered how long it might be before Harry died permanently. His afterlife might actually be interesting, in spite of everything, when his young nemesis reappeared.

Who would have thought?

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was pretty simple - "I wonder if you would write me a Tom/Harry/Gellert for me". I have quite a bit of trouble with threesomes, and don't usually write them, so this is what happened instead. My apologies for twisting it so badly, and for taking so long!
> 
> There are also, obviously, a few more tags I could/should have used - dark Harry, _temporary_ character death (and didn't it make me laugh to see that, especially the one with 'Jack Harkness' added - a whole new dimension, isn't he?), etc. - but they would have given away more of the story than I wanted.


End file.
